The Valentine
by Malcolm Yuy
Summary: Sometimes, even the person you least expect can be the person who admires you...[Sokai, AU]


A.N.: Hello everyone! I apologize for those of you who know me. My next chapter of **Portrait of a Young Woman **will be late, but it will be out **sometime **this week, I can guarantee that.

I got the idea for this when I lying in bed Sunday morning. Since Valentine's Day is coming up and all, I basically thought up the idea for this fic really fast, and the idea just stuck in my head.

And now, it's time to present to you my third Sokai oneshot. Enjoy!!!

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"**The Valentine"**

**By**

**Malcolm Yuy**

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_Gah, what time is it? _A groggily thought arose as a white hand reached out to turn off his alarm clock. The hand trailed back to the bed as its owner yawned, using that had to scratch his light brown hair. He then threw off the covers of his bed as got up. He then hurried to grab a pair of boxers, a towel, and washcloth so he could shower. Warm water heated the person's skin as he scrubbed his hair.

_What day is it today? Today's Wednesday, right? Whatever…I wish I didn't have to get up. I was having a good dream too…_ the young man sighed as he stepped out of the shower, drying himself before changing into his undergarments, followed by his pajamas.

_I want more sleep. _The young man tiredly looked into his mirror as he applied toothpaste to his toothbrush, before he began brushing his teeth. As he spit the remaining paste out of his mouth, his blue eyes widened as a realization came to him.

_Wait, isn't today…? Great…_ he shivered as he wiped his mouth clean, hurrying back to his room so he could change into his clothes for school. As he was putting on his shirt, he glanced over to his nightstand, which consisted of his alarm clock, lamp, and two awards, one being from when he was in little blitzball league, and the other from the current sport he participated in, cross-country. His cross-country award was shining blue, with a runner encrusted in the center. And below the image was the heading _Most Improved Runner 2006, Sora Akari. _

The boy known as Sora gave a small smile at his award as he grabbed his backpack, before turning off his light to race out of his room. Downstairs in the kitchen, his mother sat, listening to the radio while reading the daily newspaper as she was drinking a morning mug of coffee. His father, on the other hand, was still asleep, tired from working late the night before. He smiled as he greeted his mother.

"Morning Mom," Sora said. His mother, who had brown-grey hair and green eyes, returned her son's greeting as she smiled at him.

"Morning Sora…won't you need lunch money today?" she asked. Her son shook his head as his azure eyes gazed into her emerald ones.

"Nah Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of it," he said. She examined him, giving him a stern gaze.

"If you say so. But remember Sora, your father and I are going out to celebrate-"

"-I know I know, so don't throw any parties or do anything illegal," Sora said quickly as he cut his mother off in mid-sentence. His mother placed her hands on her hips as she regarded the youth.

"Right. Would you like a ride to school?" she asked. Sora shook his head.

"Nah, I can walk. Besides, I need the exercise," the spiky-haired brunet answered. His mother sighed, before taking a sip of her coffee.

"If you say so," she repeated. Sora simply nodded his head.

"Good. Well, I'm leaving," he stated. His mother offered him a smile.

"Then have a good day at school! Maybe if you're lucky you'll get a-"

"Oh look at time Mom, I gotta go, bye!" Sora cut his mother's sentence off again as he raced out of the house, closing the door sharply behind him, before sighing irritably. He shook his head as he only could have imagined how his mom might've reacted.

_Oh well, it should be no big deal…I don't know why she keeps on insisting about that, _he thought, as he walked down the front steps, leading onto a path that curved into the driveway, and then it connected with the nearby sidewalk. He just walked slowly as he made his way towards school.

_Why does everyone have to make a scene about it? It's only one of the most overrated holidays of the year, if not the most, _the boy pondered. He sighed again as tried shaking the thought from his mind.

_I just need to stop thinking about it._

"Hey Sora!" a voice exclaimed. Sora lost his train of thought as he looked up from his feet. A small smile graced his features as the owner of the voice made his way up to him.

"What's up 'cuz?" Roxas Hidou asked, putting his hand in a fist. Sora did the same and the two fists simply collided, before uncurling and retracting back into relaxing positions. Sora simply jerked his shoulders in response.

"Nothing much. I just want this day to end, and quick," the brunet answered as he regarded his cousin. "What about you?" he asked. The two then began advancing towards their school. The male blond wiggled a finger as he thought upon the matter.

"Well…I was sort of thinking of asking Naminé to be my Valentine…" Roxas trailed off. Sora just scoffed.

"You're really going to ask her out? What if she says no?" the brunet inquired. It was now Roxas's turn to shrug his shoulders, giving the Akari boy an _I-don't-know _gesture.

"I don't know…guess I'll just have to continue being single," the blond replied.

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Sora commented.

"Well, I don't know about you Sora, but I **want **a girlfriend this year," Roxas stated, glaring at his relative with the same blue eyes that Sora himself possessed. Sora just played-off the glare.

"And you want it to be Naminé…?" Sora asked.

"Yes, yes I do. Is there a problem with that?" Roxas questioned. The marron-haired boy just shook his head.

"No, not really…" he trailed off, turning his attention back onto his yellow sneakers. Roxas offered a small smile towards his companion.

"Good. Hey, it's Riku and Axel!" Sora looked up after hearing the blond's statement, and waved at the two older boys as they made their way towards him and his cousin. The four were standing on the corner of the sidewalk, with Destiny High School looming in the distance. Sora sighed irritably as he observed it, dreading of what was to come today. Riku, his best friend, smirked as he and his brother made their way over to them.

"What's wrong with you?" Riku asked, quirking a silver eyebrow in his friend's direction. Sora refused to answer his friend as the quartet just stood there, observing the talk between the two. When Sora wouldn't answer, Roxas decided to step in for him.

"He's just depressed because today's-"

"-Don't say it!!!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, his words flying from nowhere as he pronounced them. His blond cousin sighed as he closed his eyes.

"See what I mean? He's just being difficult," The male blond responded. Axel scratched his chin as he looked at his best friend's relative.

"I see…well, there's nothing you can really do about it then. Just continue to let your cousin be his depressing, emo-self-"

"Hey!"

"-and once this day is over, you won't have to worry about him being his melancholy, bitchy-"

"Hey!"

"-self. That's all I can say Roxas. Can you remember that?" The porcupine-redhead asked, grinning at the end of his statement. Riku and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle at the pyromaniac's comment, leaving poor Sora there to suffer.

"Yeah…I can…thanks Axel," Roxas replied, clutching his chest as he and Riku continued laughing. Sora just sent the two a death glare, which stopped them in their tracks as the two boys suddenly stopped laughing. He then turned to give Axel a cold stare.

"I am not emo, nor am I bitchy," he stated monotonously. The eldest boy just rolled his emerald eyes.

"Oh _please_…remember that one time we saw _An American Haunting _on Halloween? You wouldn't stop complaining about how that girl should have just gotten killed off in the beginning," Axel said. The spiky-haired youth just shrugged the statement off.

"Whatever…" Sora's azure eyes looked away from the boys, not wanting to talk about the matter further. Riku noticed this as he placed a hand on Axel's shoulder.

"Hey bro, shouldn't we get going to class?" the abnormally sliver-haired youth asked. Axel sighed as he closes his eyes.

"Yeah, we should. Well Roxas, Spiky, we'll see you at lunch," Axel waved. Roxas smiled at he returned the gesture.

"Bye Axel," Roxas said. Before Riku followed his brother, he lightly jabbed Sora in the arm, causing the boy to turn up to gaze into the boy's aqua-green eyes, largely concealed by his long bangs.

"Hey Sora, don't listen to my brother, you know how he is. You know, if you want, we can read the Valentines later and laugh at how ridiculous most of them are," the shaggy-haired boy suggested, a grin forming upon his face. A small smile came onto Sora's face from hearing his companion's remark.

"Okay. Later Riku," Sora said.

"Later Sor," Riku replied, before leaving to catch up with his brother. Both he and Roxas then turned to face each other, as they suddenly remembered something simultaneously.

"Oh shit, class!!!"

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Sora sighed boringly as he sat his old, thin desk, not even paying attention to what the math teacher was talking about as he scribbled math formulas on the board. Oh, how the spiky-haired youth **hated **Geometry. He hated math period. He hated it because it was so incomprehensible at times, and that no matter he tried understanding a concept, he just couldn't get it down. Or by the time he did the class had already moved on to something else. He just hated Math, period.

However, there was one reason that made him not hate it so much.

_Kairi…_ the boy thoughtfully stated, as he unknowingly gazed dreamily at the girl sitting to the right of him a few rows ahead. Her violet-blue orbs focused attentively at the teacher as she ran her hands through her long, dark, auburn hair. If Sora was any closer, he'd probably drool from the fragrance she was wearing today, he decided. He then shook his head out of his gaze.

_Who am I kidding? It'll never happen, _the boy thought, dismissing any notions the he and beautiful girl ahead of him could become a couple. The thing wasn't that he thought she was unattainable because they didn't know each other. No-it was because they knew each other, and had a rather…iffy relationship between themselves. The two had known each other ever since they stepped foot in Destiny High's immeubles, meeting during the first day of school about a year ago. They had established a friendship, albeit it was a very loose one. The two would talk to each other occasionally, and Sora would never have the guts to ask her out. So in short, Sora felt like he would be uncomfortable if the latter situation arose, and felt like all they could be were friends, and nothing more.

Not to mention, Kairi had quickly become one of the most popular girls in their class, if not the school, which only further alienated the brunet boy from his desire for her. Maybe, like Math, it was incomprehensible, but it was a fact of life that Sora would just have to accept, even if he would have to be depressed throughout the whole ordeal.

..Which reminded him why he hated Valentine's Day so much in the first place, because he was in love with someone he thought was unattainable, someone so out-of-his-league he thought he could never be with her. He seethed at the thought of what he saw earlier today: couples happily together, sharing giggles and kisses together as they smiled happily as the gifts they received, with others smiling at all the Valentines they might've gotten. Sora could only imagine how many Riku would probably get before the day was out. His best friend was an infamous chick magnet, while he saw himself as…

…a goofy, little boy who wouldn't be taken seriously enough to enter a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Sora sadly chuckled inwardly as he did remember Axel's comment earlier, looking at the indentions on the worn surface, with messages such as _Aoshi and Ryo 4ever_. He grimaced at the sight of the written statement.

_Maybe I am a whiny, bitchy emo after all…_ his thoughts trailed off as the school bell finally rang, signaling the end of class. After the teacher informed him and his classmates about what their homework would be, he packed up his things and left the classroom. He then walked to his locker so he could switch his books for the other half of the day, since lunch was coming up soon. He had first lunch, so he had plenty of time to reorganize his things before he would head off to the cafeteria.

After turning the combination lock back and forth, the spiky-brunet pried his locker open, preparing to put his books and folders in, and exchange them for different ones. But, before that could happen, a white object fell out of his locker before his blue eyes before colliding with the tile floor below him. Sora took notice of this as he looked upon the object, kneeling down to pick it up.

"Huh?" He took a closer look at it as he was now standing. In his left hand the Akari boy was holding a small, dainty white envelope, with his name, _Sora_, scribbled neatly in cursive in the center. As he turned the envelope to its back, he noticed that a Valentine heart sealed the object, colored in a dark, crimson red. He felt heat rush to his cheeks as he turned it back over to read his name again.

_This has to be some kind of joke…this just has to be…_

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"Please, someone tell me here that this is just a joke," Sora replied as he plopped in a plastic chair, setting his light purple tray onto the dark brown round table as he and his friends sat in the cafeteria. They all turned to give him a stern look.

"What's got you so miffed now?" Riku asked, quirking a silver eyebrow in question as he looked upon his best friend. The brunet sighed tiredly as he closed his blue eyes.

"Take a look at this," the boy instructed, as he handed his companion the small object. Riku glanced at it for a moment before returning it. "You got a Valentine. So what?" the silver-haired youth asked. Sora sighed again as he opened his eyes, narrowing his eyes in a glare at the other young man sitting beside him.

"Because Riku, this has to be a joke! You know how much I **_hate _**Valentine's Day!" Sora exclaimed. The other boys just shook their heads as they heard his statement, with Riku following suit.

"Then you'll just have to face the fact that **_someone _**took their time to construct that Valentine for you. I don't know what else to say," the older boy plainly stated. Sora just sighed.

"I figured as much. Fine then, if it wasn't you, then who was it? Roxas..? Axel..?" He looked over to his other companions. His blond cousin just shook his head, but Axel couldn't help but smirk at the inquiry. He just had to respond.

"You know Sora, there's something I've wondered…what if it was a guy who wrote it?" the other boys at the table began laughing as Sora's face contorted into a beet red.

"WHAT?! THERE'S NO WAY!!!" He shouted. The whole cafeteria silenced for a moment as people at the surrounding tables turned to regard him. Sora nervously gulped as he felt glares and stares alike grace his presence. He sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Sorry." The silence then dissipated as conversation resumed among the tables in the lunchroom. The spiky-brunet puffed before he began talking again. "Look, no offense to you guys if any of you happen to be homosexual or anything, it's just that I don't swing that way. And if someone **_did _**seriously write this Valentine, then I hope that **_someone _**is a girl," The young man explained. His cousin patted the boy's shoulder to cheer him up.

"You do know Axel was just kidding, right 'cuz…?" Roxas asked. Sora groaned tiredly.

"I just want this day to end, now…" the blue eyed boy replied as he rested his head on the table. The other boys just looked on with amusement.

"Hey Sora…"

"Yes Riku…?"

"Have you even **_opened _**it yet…?" the aqua-green orbed young man questioned. Sora opened his eyes as he lifted his head from the table, directing his attention towards his friend.

"As a matter-of-fact, no, I haven't," he answered. Riku grinned as another question entered his mind.

"Then why don't you? You should at least take the time to read it right..?" he asked. Sora nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess…" Sora then slowly turned to the parcel in his hand, and turned it over. He sighed as he placed his hand upon the seal. "Here goes…" and then, with a careful precision, the spiky boy opened the envelope, with the seal still stuck on the fringe. He slowly slid the note out of its contents, to find a folded piece of white paper. He then opened it, and his friends gathered round as they read its contents along with him. The Valentine simply stated:

_Dear Sora,_

_I have admired you since way back when_

_But you may not remembered me from then_

_But now we're both together, here_

_You and me, each other, near_

_I know that this rhyme may sound lame_

_But the message I want to dictate is just the same_

_I want the chance to give my heart to you_

_But only if you like me too_

_So if it's okay and if it's cool_

_I hope we can meet after school_

_In the courtyard, at four o'clock_

_I'll be waiting then so we can talk_

_Sincerely from a heart that burns with desire,_

_With everlasting love, Your Secret Admirer_

"Wow, it looks like this person has the hots for you Sor," Riku suggested. Sora just glared at his companion, red still on his visage as he did so.

"Isn't that obvious? But who could it be?" Sora questioned, pondering the issue. His other two friends just shrugged.

"Well, whoever it is, I hope it isn't Naminé," Roxas replied. The brunet turned to face his relative.

"And why is that? Haven't you asked her yet?" Sora bluntly asked. Pink tinted the blond's cheeks as he shook his head.

"No, I didn't see her second period, and that's why I'm worried," Roxas's azure eyes narrowed as he looked away from his friends. "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What then?" Sora pouted at seeing the look upon the boy's face.

_And that's another reason why I hate Valentine's Day…_

"Well then, you'll have to think about that, won't you Roxy-poo?" Axel asked, batting his eyelashes. Roxas just punched him in the arm.

"Shut up." The other boys laughed at this. The porcupine redhead just shrugged at the reaction he received.

"At least it got you out of your slump," he said. Roxas sighed.

"You do have a point there…" he trailed off. He then turned to look at Riku. "Hey Riku, how much Valentines did you get?" he asked. Riku smirked at the question.

"Fifteen." He then turned his head towards his brother. "What about you Ax?" he asked. Axel grinned.

"Twenty-seven," he stated matter-of-factly. Roxas sighed.

"Well, at least you three have a Valentine. I haven't even gotten one yet. And Mr. Dancing Sunshine over here isn't even aware of the opposite sex and he got one-"

"Hey!"

"It just sucks." It was now Sora's turn to pat his cousin's back in comfort.

"Don't worry, maybe Naminé will come around," he said. The blond just narrowed his eyes at his relative.

"And since when did you get all uppity-up?" Roxas asked. Sora just shrugged.

"I don't know, just be lucky I'm supporting you now," Sora said. Roxas sighed.

"Whatever…anyways…" he trailed off as he began another conversation. This time, Sora tuned his other friends out as he looked at the Valentine again, re-reading the poem. He took notice at a particular sentence in particular.

_I have admired you since way back when…? Who would admire me for that long, and why? Only one person liked me back then, and she moved away a long time ago…I don't even remember her name…_Sora's thoughts trailed off as he recalled a memory from long ago.

_He was only about seven years old, and in second grade at the time. He remembered that during Valentine's Day, everyone had to give their classmates Valentine cards. This was back when the then petit spiky-brunet actually liked the holiday, unlike as of now. Even though he had received all kinds of cards from people in particular, most of them being plastic, made by company cards that didn't have any real meaning to them (he didn't even open any from the boys, God forbid), he remembered one standing out among the rest. He had smiled as he remembered the girl nervously giving it to him._

"_Um, Sora…?" a high-pitched voice asked nervously. Little Sora turned to face the voice._

"_Yeah…oh, hey -----. What is it?" He asked. A little blur stood before him as she bowed, a white envelope in her hands as presented it to him. Her bangs covered her eyes, even though her hair was a little shorter than shoulder length in essence. Little Sora could only gape at what she held._

"_Here. Um, I want you to have this…" the little girl trailed off. Little Sora simply smiled as he took the Valentine._

"_Okay." His smile remained as he looked at it. He then looked back up to thank the girl, but was disappointed as he was now left alone. He frowned, before sighing. "I guess I'll thank her tomorrow. Yeah, that's what I'll do!" he said to himself out loud. He nodded his head as he was happy with his decision._

…_But, when the next day came, he found his classmate gone. Apparently, Valentine's Day was the last day she had at Destiny Elementary School, and she moved to somewhere else. Little Sora was devastated as one could only imagine how he felt when he found that out. _

_Why does that memory stand out now? _Sora asked himself as he came back to the present. He glimpsed at his Valentine again before he pocketed it. He sighed as he tried his best to wave it off.

_Whatever…I'll just meet this person after school. Whoever it is, I just hope that it isn't some joke, _The boy thought to himself as he kept his eyes closed. The bell then rang, signaling the end of lunch for him and his comrades. He sighed.

_Time to return to class…_

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After waiting an agonizing three hours and fifteen minutes, the Akari boy now made his way to the courtyard, where the aforementioned "Secret Admirer" was supposed to be. He sighed as he noticed people spread throughout the area, chatting aimlessly among themselves, carrying their gifts that admirers and loved ones alike had given them earlier that day. Sora sighed as he felt that same feeling of loathing again.

_I hate Valentine's Day, I hate it I hate it I hate it, _he repeated. He then sat at a table, leaning his back upon it as he observed the people before him. The wind billowed, and the clouds loomed overhead as he continued waiting. His heart began racing as he saw someone make their way towards him.

_Don't tell me its-_

"Tidus!" the feminine voice exclaimed, passing Sora as he turned his head towards her direction. The brunette girl made her way over to a shaggy, blond-haired young man who was waiting for her at a tree. The blond smiled as he embraced her.

"What's up Selphie…?" he asked. The brunette girl known as Selphie pecked him on the cheek, as she smiled at him.

"Nothing much. Happy Valentine's Day," she said.

"Happy Valentine's Day…" Sora then left the two to their own little world as he looked back ahead. He sighed as he closed his eyes.

_Phew, that was close, _he said to himself. He then heard something step closer to him, so the light-haired boy opened his eyes. His blue orbs widened when he saw a blonde-haired girl make her way over to him.

_Is it Naminé? If it is, Roxas is going to- _His thoughts were cut-off as she now stood before him.

"Um, hey Sora," Naminé said nervously. Sora looked away from the petite blonde for a moment before glancing at her. He never imagined that this would happen to him. And with his cousin's crush no less.

"Um, hey Naminé…" Sora trailed off, disappointed that it was her that gave him the Valentine. It wasn't like Naminé was unattractive or anything, 'cause she wasn't, but…he just didn't want it to be her. Sora sighed.

_But that's the difference between dreams and reality. In dreams, you "dream" about what you want, what you desire, but in reality…what you get may be what you don't desire. And that's just a fact that I'm just gonna have to-_

"Naminé!" a deeper voice shouted. Naminé smiled as she looked ahead, instead of at the brunet boy sitting before her.

"Roxas!" she exclaimed. She smiled as Sora's cousin made his way over to her. She clasped her hands as the two looked at each other. Sora now sat there, stupefied as he watched what was going on between the two.

"Did you get my Valentine?" she asked, her violet-blue orbs looking ever hopeful. Roxas smiled as he simply nodded at her.

"Sure did. And to answer that, yes Naminé, I'd love to be your Valentine. And something more, if you'd like," Roxas said, blushing at the last part. Naminé followed his example as she giggled in response.

"I'd like that." Roxas then walked over to the female blonde and the two linked arms together. They then both turned to look at the other person in their view. "So 'cuz, has your secret admirer shown up yet?" Sora shook his head.

"No…" Naminé sighed.

"Really, 'cause that's a shame. I wanted to come here to see what would happen," Naminé said. The spiky-brunet raised an eyebrow at her.

"And how would you know about this?" Sora asked. Roxas fidgeted as his right arm was linked with Naminé's left.

"Well, you see, I kinda told her…" Roxas answered nervously. "That, and she said she-"

"That's enough out of you Roxas! Now come on, let's leave Sora alone. I think he'd want that," Naminé said, dragging the male blond off. Roxas sighed as he agreed to her request.

"Yes dear," he simply said. Naminé giggled as they walked off together, leaving Sora to himself. He checked his watch, before groaning in annoyance.

"It's been ten minutes! Are they coming or not?!" he exclaimed with fury, rising out of his seat. What he didn't notice was that someone else had entered the scene.

"Hello Sora…" a light voice trailed off. Sora turned his head towards the source.

"Huh?" His mouth gaped open at who was standing to his right.

_It's Kairi…it can't be…it just can't be…_

The beautiful auburn-haired girl standing before him blushed as her eyes weren't directed at his, yet. She then turned to gaze at him. "So I'm guessing you…got my note?" she asked. Sora blushed as he stuttered, trying to find something to say.

"You're my secret admirer?" The marron-haired boy asked, still stooped that the girl before him was the girl who liked him. This was just too much for his poor brain to handle, and it didn't help that she was inching ever closer to him. Kairi nodded.

"So uh, what do you think? I mean, how you do feel?" Kairi questioned. Apparently, she was nervous too. Sora scratched his head as he struggled to find an answer.

"Well, that is…I…I…I like you too," he smiled, an overbearing one forming at that. Kairi smiled in return, hope shining in her blue-violet orbs as she looked upon her crush.

"Really..?" she inquired. Love shimmered in Sora's azure orbs as he simply nodded, his smile cemented on his face.

"Really…" he answered. Kairi then embraced him, and the spiky-haired young man couldn't help but return her hug, an indescribable warmth filling his body as he could feel his heart beat. Silently, he wondered if Kairi could hear it too. The auburn-haired girl laid her head upon his chest, and smiled upon doing so.

"I've been wanting to do this for so long…" she said, almost as if she were in a dream. Sora pressed his head atop of hers as he slightly squeezed her waist.

"Me too…I never thought that we…never thought that I…never mind what I thought…" the brunet murmured. The girl giggled as she was pressed against him. He then narrowed his eyes as he remembered what Kairi had stated in her note earlier. "Hey Kairi, what did you mean exactly by '_I have admired you for a long time'_? We've only known each other for the last year and a half, haven't we..?" Sora asked. Kairi shook her head as she turned to look up at him.

"No, we knew each other before that. Don't you remember?" the redhead asked. Sora shook his head slowly, saddened that he couldn't remember her. Kairi frowned as she looked ahead. "It was a long time ago…maybe you don't remember, but _I _do…" she trailed off. Sora's eyes then widened in shock as the previous memory he had during that day flashed abruptly in his mind.

"Wait…you mean, you were my first Valentine?" he asked, loosening his hold a little so he properly look at her. Kairi turned around and gazed up at the boy she admired.

"So you remember?" she asked, a small smile beginning to form on her face. Sora's memory flashed before him as the blurred little girl's image focused, clearing up before him. Now he remembered that it was a little redhead girl who handed him his first, real Valentine.

"_Yeah…oh, hey Kairi. What is it?"_

"_Here. Um, I want you to have this…" _the petite girl trailed off, asthe image of the girl before him transformed into a younger version of herself, smiling as she handed him the note. Light then flashed as the girl he loved return to normal.

"But you disappeared the next day! You moved away!" he exclaimed. Kairi solemnly nodded as she subconsciously tightened her hold on the boy before him.

"That I did. I apologize for not telling you Sora. It's just that I was scared about how you'd react back then," Kairi said sadly. Sora comforted her by cupping her chin, thereby forcing her to gaze into his eyes.

"But Kairi, I liked you, even back then. You were the only girl that I didn't mind getting cooties from," Sora teased. Kairi laughed as she cupped her hand over her mouth. Sora smiled. "Well, it doesn't matter that you moved away, 'cause you're here now, right?" The auburn-haired girl nodded.

"Right."

"And we were able to meet again. Maybe it was fate," Sora suggested. Kairi smiled at the thought.

"Maybe." She then leaned closer, her face nearing Sora's. The brunet glanced down at her lips, before gazing back into her eyes. He found himself so entranced by her. He still couldn't believe she was his secret admirer.

"Hey Kairi..?"

"Yes Sora?" Kairi asked, pausing as their lips were just inches away from one another. Sora smirked before he asked the next question.

"Will you be my Valentine…?" he asked. The girl gave him an upside-down frown in return.

"Yes, I'll be that, and more…I mean, if you'd like that." Sora just smiled at the girl's statement, as their lips crawled ever closer to one another's.

"I'd like that very much." He then smiled as he opened his mouth to speak again. "Hey Kairi..? Happy Valentine's Day," Sora said, still smiling. The girl gave him another smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sora…" Kairi trailed off as her lips made contact with his, and Sora felt his heart beat fast as their lips moved, their eyes closed, delight tingling all of their senses. And as the two continued to share a kiss in the courtyard, one thought hovered in Sora's mind, as a small smile formed upon his lips…

_Maybe Valentine's Day isn't so bad after all…_

- End -

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Well guys, that's the end of **The Valentine**. Poor Sora, I had everyone pick on him. Oh well, at least he got the girl in the end. I hope you enjoyed it as I sure did!

..I admit, just like Sora, I'm sort of cynical when it comes to Valentine's Day, especially since the past few years. Maybe someday that'll change…I hope.

Well, I'm going to try to work on **Portrait of a Young Woman **on Wednesday, as I have A LOT of free time on my hands. Hopefully I'll be able to get it out later that day or Thursday, maybe Friday at best.

I hope the rest of you have a Very Happy Valentine's Day, and 'till next time readers, I'm outie. Later!!!- _Malcolm Yuy_


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